I decided that my Composition I course this fall needed to have a new theme. My food units are getting aged, and thanks to Common Core curriculum in high schools, students are writing a lot about food before they get to college. Thus, I decided, why not dystopia? There is a lot to say about society, politics, culture, disease, natural disaster, technology, art, and warfare. So I’ve begun collating books about society, collapse, survival, and more. And that is why, when I stumbled across Bushcraft Skills, I decided to give it a read.
Let’s get into some real talk, folks. I am a city girl. I enjoy tent camping, hiking, and canoeing, but I also require a toilet that flushes and a shower. Yet I also want to know how to survive in the wilderness. I am interested in learning how to build a fire and how to build a shelter should I be stranded in the wilderness somewhere. And Bushcraft Skills tells you how to do that. Beyond that, there are all sorts of tips about making water potable, skinning a deer, and using an animal’s brains to tan its hide. I’m so not kidding about that. I can also never unsee that.
Unless you’ve actually trained and practiced these skills, there are just too many things to remember. I’m not going to know how to make a hand drill without the book in my hands. If, however, you happen to have it when you crash in the wilderness, and you possess the right knife and tools, then you’re set. I enjoyed the read, even if I gazed in dismay at the skinned animals on display. Did I mention that I’ve also been a vegetarian for 10 months now? Yup, I’m going to be eating a lot of mushrooms and berries in the wild.
